Modernist Literature “Don’t Miss” List Be sure to notice the following elements in the literature you’re reading. These items should be incorporated into your analysis and therefore your presentation. All of these works have important titles – be sure to explain the meaning of the title to the work. The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald (1925) Color symbolism (blue, white, red, pink, gold, yellow, green) Other symbols (Gatsby’s car, Gatsby’s mansion, Gatsby’s clothes, the green light, Eckleburg’s eyes) Is Nick really a reliable narrator? How does this affect your understanding of the characters? Of Mice and Men Steinbeck (1937) Compare/contrast George and Lennie with other ranch hands Symbols: “the dream”, Candy’s dog Look up the poem the title alludes to (“To a Mouse” by Robert Burns) and make connections Their Eyes Were Watching God Hurston (1937) Symbols: pear tree, horizon, head rags, apron, mule How is the oral tradition of storytelling honored in this novel? The Glass Menagerie Williams (1944) Symbols: menagerie, unicorn, blue roses, jonquils (daffodils) How are dreams fulfilled and shattered in this play? How do deception and lies play a role in this play? A Raisin in the Sun Hansberry (1951) Look up the poem the title alludes to (“Harlem (Dream Deferred)” by Langston Hughes) and make connections This play was originally titled Crystal Stair after a Langston Hughes poem “Mother to Son.” Look up this poem, too, and make connections. Social criticism – analyze the characters as representative of different philosophies or popular/political movements Symbols: the plant The Old Man and the Sea Hemingway (1952) Symbols: Joe DiMaggio, lions, arm wrestling match Santiago as Christ figure What philosophy about human behavior is Hemingway demonstrating through Santiago? The Crucible Miller (1952) Find out what a crucible is and make connections Allegory: compare to McCarthyism